Fig. 2

Common port and bedside unit positions tested in cadaver studies. a Common port positions for RALH. The endoscope angle was 0° for all procedures. Ports were generally organized in a triangular configuration. The surgeons placed either an accessory port (Surgeon 1) or an endoscope port (Surgeon 2) at the umbilicus (where the ML crosses the SUL); both surgeons placed instrument ports on both sides of the umbilicus. For Surgeon 2’s configuration, the left and middle accessory ports were sometimes also used as instrument ports. b The modular system facilitated flexibility in the positioning of the BSU and surgical assistant; the illustrated positions reflect the most common surgical setup for each operating surgeon. Superimposed rectangle represents the surgical table with measurements detailing the distance between instrument BSUs and the surgical table or other BSUs. Diagrams are not drawn to scale. Pink dot indicates the umbilicus. Assist, surgical assistant; BSU, bedside unit; Endo, endoscope; Instr, instrument; MCL, midclavicular line; ML, midline; RALH, robot-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy; SUL, supine-umbilical line